Michael Bay's last good movie

Rating: 8/10 (14 November 2014)

Outside of THE ROCK, this is probably the best film that Michael Bay has done to date. Is it a great movie? Not especially, but it's about the best you can ask for when all of the typical Michael Bay elements are mixed together with a concept and story that, while borrowing heavily from previous sci-fi films, is still somewhat intelligent and thought-provoking. The story is about a man (Ewan McGregor) who lives inside a utopian facility when, one day, he figures out that he and the other inhabitants are just being used to harvest organs. He also escapes with a woman (Scarlett Johansson) who is about to be sent to "The Island."
The whole movie is basically set up to be a series of chase sequences, but it works because the concept is interesting enough and you care enough to want to find out what is going on, and why. For the most part, Michael Bay was on his best behavior here when it came to his sense of "humor." There were some stereotyped characters here and there, but nothing as pervasive as what would follow in his Transformers series. By now, his visual style was well-established, but it still wasn't so chaotic that you couldn't tell what was going on in any given frame. The performances were decent, and nobody stuck out as being really bad. I thought Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson did good work as the two leads, and Sean Bean made for a nice villain. Djimon Hounsou also did a good job as a bounty hunter on the trail of the two lead characters, and who also has a nice character arc. Returning back to the visuals, there was more CGI than in past Michael Bay films, but nothing too over-the-top or excessive. There was also a fair amount of practical effects work and plenty of well-done explosions (for those are into that sort of thing). Granted, these type of movies often push the bounds of suspension of disbelief when it comes to the relationship with physical reality, but it was still entertaining on a visceral level. The score by Steve Jablonsky and Hans Zimmer was also pretty good, and accentuated the visuals and action quite nicely.
However, one thing that became much more clear to me while watching this is that Michael Bay is basically an assembly-line director. There are certain elements which always be in movies that he makes. Some of them, like his chaotic camera-work and penchant for explosions are fine in moderation while others, like his voyeuristic obsession with the female form and juvenile sense of humor, would be better if left out entirely. Thankfully, there's not too much here in terms of the latter two. Also, like a lot of summer blockbusters, there's an obligatory romantic subplot. Yes, I lament that nearly all action movies have to shoehorn this element in, but I thought it was handled tastefully here, and not just there for the sake of being there.
Overall, this is most fun I've had watching a Michael Bay movie, outside of THE ROCK. In fact, I'd say that those two are tied for my favorite. The story is engaging, even if derivative, and the action keeps things moving along at a good clip such that I didn't feel the 135 minute run time as much. There's something here, even for people who don't quite take to Michael Bay's style, and it's a pretty good sci-fi/action movie to boot.